“Hey,” a person who was pushed aside nudged the speaker’s face. “I’m telling you, don’t push. What’s the use of just talking?” With that, she handed the gift in her hand to Si Qingyu with a beaming smile. “Doctor Si, thank you for helping my child recover from illness last time. This is for you. I wish you and your husband a long and happy life together and to have a precious daughter soon.”

“Oh, so you, who are known for being stingy, are being so generous now?” The woman who was pushed aside by her mocked disdainfully.

Hearing this, the woman who gave the gift became angry and made a gesture of rolling up her sleeves. “Hey, how can you talk like that? How am I stingy?!”

“Tsk, who in the town doesn’t know that you’re famous for being stingy? Who knows if the things you’re giving are used or worthless.” The woman said and even glanced at the items in her hand with disgust.

Seeing that the two seemed to be on the verge of fighting, Si Qingyu quickly raised her hand to stop them. “There’s no need for you two to argue over such a small matter. I can’t accept it.”

“Hey, Doctor Si, don’t mind them. They’re always like this. If they meet and don’t exchange a few words, they won’t feel at ease.”

“That’s right. I’m telling you two, if you want to fight, go somewhere else. What are you making a fuss about here?”

The two women’s faces turned red from embarrassment. The woman holding the gift scratched her head and looked at Si Qingyu apologetically. “Doctor Si, don’t mind us. We just can’t help it when we see each other. Come, come, quickly accept it!” With that, the woman stuffed the items into her hands.

Si Qingyu naturally couldn’t accept it. Her forehead started to sweat slightly due to the stuffy air from being surrounded. She pushed away the gift that was being handed to her. “I really can’t accept this, but I will accept your well wishes. Thank you.”

The woman’s hand holding the gift froze in mid-air. Seeing Si Qingyu’s troubled expression and her unwillingness to accept, she exchanged glances with the people around her and retracted her hand. “Well… since Doctor Si is unwilling to accept, then never mind.”

Only then did Si Qingyu’s smile become more natural. She gestured to the townspeople surrounding her. “Everyone, please disperse. In this hot weather, it’s easy to get heatstroke.”

Hearing this, the townspeople finally dispersed, their faces slightly flushed from the heat.

The air finally circulated, and Si Qingyu took a deep breath. She raised her sleeve to wipe the fine sweat on her forehead before leaving.

In the medical hall, Zhao Sixi was grinding medicine while writing and drawing in a book. Hearing footsteps at the door, she looked up, thinking who it could be early in the morning. She didn’t expect it to be Si Qingyu, whom she hadn’t seen for many days. She jumped up from the ground, her eyes sparkling as she ran towards Si Qingyu. “Doctor Si! You’re finally here!”

Si Qingyu calmly raised her hand and pressed it against her forehead, stopping the out-of-control Zhao Sixi who was about to pounce on her. She frowned slightly and gave her a glance. “When will you be able to use that impulsiveness of yours in the right place?”

Zhao Sixi, who was frozen in place, straightened her body and rubbed her nose in embarrassment, grinning foolishly. “Sorry, Doctor Si, I got too excited for a moment…” Her voice became lower and lower under Si Qingyu’s cool glance.

Si Qingyu bent her finger and tapped her on the forehead.

“Ah…” Zhao Sixi held her head in slight pain, looking up at her with a wronged expression.

Si Qingyu ignored her and walked past her to the tea table, pouring herself a cup of tea. “In that moment of excitement, you can try counting to five first. Maybe it can suppress your excitement.”

Behind her, Zhao Sixi pouted and muttered softly, “That’s so boring…”

“What did you say?”

Zhao Sixi quickly waved her hands in denial. “No-nothing.”

Si Qingyu walked to the medicine cabinet and took out the account book inside, flipping through it page by page. “Did anything happen during the days I was away?”

“Nothing much, just that Lord Luo came looking for you several times, but unfortunately, you weren’t here.” Zhao Sixi said while walking to Si Qingyu’s side, looking at the account book in her hand.

Lord Luo?

Si Qingyu’s hand paused slightly while flipping the account book, puzzled. “What did Lord Luo want to see me for?”

“Huh?” Zhao Sixi was staring at her hand in a daze and didn’t react for a moment. She looked up at her in a dazed state. “I-I don’t know what Lord Luo wanted to see Doctor Si for either. She just came several times, and when she didn’t see Doctor Si, she left.”

Is that so…

Si Qingyu nodded, not paying much attention to it.

“Oh right!” Zhao Sixi seemed to remember something. She squatted down and took out a letter from the second hidden compartment of the medicine cabinet, handing it to Si Qingyu. “Doctor Si, this is a letter Lord Luo left for you before leaving.”

A letter?

Si Qingyu took the letter from her hand and opened it.

The content of the letter read: I have been looking for Doctor Si for many days but haven’t been able to see you. I suppose Doctor Si must be immersed in the gentle countryside.

I have matters to attend to at the yamen and can’t stay long. There will surely be opportunities to meet again in the future.

By the way, I also wanted to ask, have the books I gave you last time been useful?

Seeing the last sentence, Si Qingyu felt as if she could see Luo Jinhua’s mischievous face. Her eyelid twitched, and she almost couldn’t resist crumpling the letter.

How dare she mention that book!

Si Qingyu took a deep breath and slowly folded the letter, placing it aside.

Zhao Sixi, who was beside her, carefully observed the coldness emanating from Si Qingyu and tactfully didn’t disturb her. She walked back to the medicinal herbs she hadn’t finished grinding and continued.

Si Qingyu put the medicinal herbs she brought from home beside her. “Separate these.”

Zhao Sixi rummaged through the medicine bag and nodded. “Okay.”

Si Qingyu walked to the medicine cabinet, stretched her body, and began to earnestly review the account book and the medical records Zhao Sixi had written in the past few days.

Inside the medical hall, apart from the sound of flipping pages, there was only the sound of grinding medicine.

Si Qingyu was immersed in the books, even directly missing lunchtime.

It wasn’t until the afternoon when the sun was about to set that Zhao Sixi, seeing Si Qingyu still earnestly writing things down, hesitated before speaking. “Doctor Si, aren’t you going home yet?”

The woman in front of the medicine cabinet didn’t even lift her head. “I’ll go back after I finish these.”

“Then… then I’ll go back first?”

“Mm, go back. Be careful on the way.”

Zhao Sixi nodded, but unfortunately, the woman with her head lowered didn’t see it at all. She picked up the bag of food and walked to the door, turning her head to look at the busy Si Qingyu. “Doctor Si, you should also go back early.”

“Mm.” Si Qingyu responded faintly with her head lowered.

Zhao Sixi didn’t say anything more and left the medical hall.

Only Si Qingyu was left in the medical hall. The sky grew darker and darker, and the light inside the medical hall became increasingly blurry.

It wasn’t until Si Qingyu could no longer see the words in the book clearly that she absentmindedly raised her head and looked outside.

It’s already so late.

Si Qingyu rubbed her tired eyes, closed the book and put it aside. She bent her arms and stretched backward, looking at the door. Something flashed through her mind, and her movements suddenly stiffened.

Oh no!

She seemed to have promised Shaoxuan that she would go back early…